Saturday Fulham Stuff (20/11/10)...

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/19/squad-sheets-fulham-manchester-city?

Squad sheets: Fulham v Manchester City

Mark Hughes said he was "not bitter" at his press briefing on Friday but, some 11 months on, he will still keenly recall waving goodbye to Manchester City's supporters after a 4-3 victory over Sunderland that was played with Roberto Mancini sitting in the stands. There was such indignity to his sacking at Eastlands that this meeting with his former employers will offer particular incentive to excel. The visitors are fourth and apparently content with their season to date. Whether their owners will feel quite so charitable to Mancini should they lose at Craven Cottage remains to be seen. Dominic Fifield

Venue Craven Cottage, Sunday 4pm

Tickets £45-60 (0870 442 1234)

Last season Fulham 1 Manchester City 2

Referee L Mason

This season's matches 5 Y23, R1, 4.80 cards per game


Probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic

Odds Fulham 9-4 Manchester City 7-5 Draw 23-10

Fulham

Subs from Stockdale, Riise, Kamara, Dikgacoi, E Johnson, Halliche, Elm, Pantsil, Baird, Briggs, Etuhu

Doubtful Baird (thigh)

Injured Dembélé (ankle, 11 Dec), Senderos (calf, Feb), Zamora (broken leg, Feb), Stoor (groin, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide DLDWLL

Disciplinary record Y16 R0

Leading scorer Dempsey 4

Manchester City

Subs from Given, Taylor, Jô, Lescott, Vieira, Adebayor, Boyata, A Johnson, Santa Cruz, Zabaleta, Wright-Phillips, Richards, M Johnson, Bridge

Doubtful Barry (ankle), Boateng (ankle), Hart (back), M Johnson (knee), Lescott (foot), Richards (rib)

Injured Nimely (ankle, Jan)

Suspended Balotelli (last of three)

Form guide DDWLLW

Disciplinary record Y28 R2

Leading scorer Tevez 7

Match pointers

• None of the last seven league meetings between City and Fulham have ended in a home win

• City had 22 points from 13 league games under Mark Hughes last season and won their 14th game to make it 25

• Clint Dempsey has scored three goals in his last two Premier League starts against Manchester City

• Emmanuel Adebayor has scored four goals in five league games against Fulham

• Only one of the last 16 meetings between these sides in all competitions has seen either team keep a clean sheet

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1331358/Mark-Hughes-moved-Fulham-boss-determined-stop-club-Manchester-City.html?

Mark Hughes has moved on but  Fulham boss is determined to stop former club Manchester City

Mark Hughes admits he is relishing the prospect of making life difficult for his old club Manchester City this weekend.

It is 11 months since Fulham boss Hughes was sacked as manager of City when he did not deliver the points quota demanded by the current owners.

City were in sixth place in the Premier League then. Now, under Roberto Mancini, they are fourth but still struggling to make a consistent impact.

And while Hughes insists he has moved on since leaving Eastlands, he said: 'Whenever a player goes up against a team he was employed by, or a manager in my circumstances, there is always an extra incentive to try to win the game. I'm no different from any individual in similar circumstances.

'My aim first and foremost is to win for Fulham. It is always nice to go up against former clubs and show that there is life after you have left them.'

The manner in which Hughes left Eastlands, waving farewell to the fans after a 4-3 victory against Sunderland with new boss Mancini in the ground, was seen by many as disrespectful by City's owners.

Hughes, however, said: 'Once the door on my career as a manager at Manchester City was closed then I moved on. I don't hold grudges. I'm not bitter about the situation. The only thing that affects is yourself. Why drag yourself down with things that have happened in the past? You have to move on and look for other challenges.'

Hughes has a strong squad to choose from for Sunday's match with Mexican defender Carlos Salcido returning ahead of schedule after recovering from ankle ligament damage and defender Chris Baird also back in contention after missing two weeks with a thigh tear.

The only casualty is striker Moussa Dembele who aggravated an ankle injury in training.

But while Hughes hopes to dent City's title hopes he believes the world's richest club will achieve trophy-winning success.

He said: 'The team itself hasn't formed as quickly as the people in charge would have liked.

'They made a change (by sacking Hughes) with a view to accelerating the process of getting success. That doesn't seem to have happened. But it is only a matter of time.

'They have got good players there already and have that flexibility to go into the market and buy whoever they like. No other club in the world has that ability. Whether that is fair or right those are the circumstances everybody else finds themselves in.

'It is getting easier to attract players to the club because the profile has been raised in the last 12 months. When I was there it was very difficult to convince people what Manchester City were trying to do. It was difficult to get in front of top players and have a pitch at them.

'Now the word is out that if you want to go to a club which will give you lots of money Manchester City are a viable option.

'There has to be a level of patience. From my point of view that wasn't shown as long as I felt it should have been. But the current manager is their choice. I always felt the fact that I wasn't hand-picked to do the job would at some point undermine me and I think that happened. Maybe now there is more patience.'

Does he have any sympathy for the criticism current City boss Mancini has received?

'Sympathy? No, we all know what the job entails,' said Hughes. 'I went to City because I wanted to test myself on a bigger stage. In the end it became difficult for me to progress but it was a good experience. There are good people there.

'Everybody has moved on. They have moved on. I don't think they will be thinking about me at the weekend and I am just focusing on Fulham.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1331358/Mark-Hughes-moved-Fulham-boss-determined-stop-club-Manchester-City.html#ixzz15o2kEXns

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6516381,00.html?

Dembele setback for Fulham
Striker suffers ankle injury on international duty with Belgium

Fulham boss Mark Hughes has confirmed striker Moussa Dembele is out for three weeks after suffering an ankle injury on international duty.

Dembele was hurt during Belgium's game with Russia on Wednesday night and will be out of action until December.

The summer signing from AZ Alkmaar missed three weeks earlier in the season after suffering ankle ligament damage following a challenge by Stoke City full-back Andy Wilkinson.

Hughes has revealed Dembele has aggravated the same ankle problem and he will be unavailable for the next few weeks.

"Unfortunately we've lost Moussa Dembele for about three weeks," Hughes told the club's official website.

"He went over on his ankle on Wednesday night and it's the same ankle he injured against Stoke.

"He's aggravated that injury and damaged it."

Dembele has scored twice in 10 Premier League appearances for Fulham, with both goals coming in a 2-1 home win over Wolves prior to his original ankle injury.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/11/next-up-man-city-h/?

Next up: Man City (h)
by TOR on NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Well it's here. The Barclays Premier League (TM) fixtures computer has managed to schedule Sparky v Scarfy at a remarkably interesting point in the season. Manchester City currently sit in 4th but this is overshadowed by rumours of dressing-room discontent and increasingly disillusioned fans. The fans have been vocal about their disappointment following a number of "bore draws" which is less than desirable from a team apparently aiming for Champions League action next season, even if it does seem to be a successful strategy, for the moment at least.

On our turf, things are only marginally better. We're the league's draw specialists so far this season, with a record 8 draws in 13 games (although a handful of clubs including Man Utd, Bolton and Sunderland have drawn 7 times which puts some context to otherwise meaningless figures) but at least we're not booing Sparky and the boys off the pitch. Yet. Our inability to take the full 3 points from more than 2 games this season means we're languishing just above the relegation zone in 16th, but we can take comfort from the fact that a horribly congested league table means there are only 5 points between 5th place and 17th. A win this weekend could see a jump to the top half and I suspect this congestion will be a reality for much of the season.

So, on paper, it looks like it might be a dull game. And well it might, on the pitch at least. However the media are frothing at the mouth about how Mancini currently has the same number of points as Man City's previous manager at the same point last season. And we all know what happened 11 months ago (I remember it clearly – we'd just beaten Man Utd and I honestly thought we might have been first on Match of the Day. I've not yet forgiven Man City for usurping our rightful spot). Both managers certainly have an awful lot to fight for this Sunday, not least their pride and I can't help but think that more attention will be paid to the touchline than on-field matters. I know I'll be keeping one eye on the dugouts during the game.

So on to the players. Stephen Kelly will be hoping to make his 100th League appearance this weekend. We'll be without Moussa Dembele who has been ruled out for 3 weeks with a recurrence of that ankle injury he sustained against Stoke in the League Cup. Carlos Salcido should make a return from his injury, although whether he'll play a full 90 minutes remains to be seen so I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a little more of Matthew Briggs, especially following Hughes' glowing praise for him after the Chelsea game. Chris Baird didn't feature in Northern Ireland's draw with Morocco in the week and is still a doubt for this weekend, as is Dickson Etuhu. It will be interesting to see who Sparky pairs with Andrew Johnson up front but he may want to consider that Clint Dempsey has scored 3 goals in his last 2 starts against City.

In the light blue corner, Joe Hart has recovered from his back spasm and is likely to feature in goal. Mancini still has a number of injuries to contend with, including Joleon Lescott and Gareth Barry who both picked up knocks whilst playing for England in the week, but there is still an enormously expensive back four to contend with, including Kolo Toure and Vincent Kompany. Balotelli is still suspended but Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland will have to contain Carlos Tevez who sits joint first in the league's top scorers with a tally of 7 so far this season. Adebayor is recovering from injury but it'll be a worry if he features at any point; he's scored 4 in 5 league games against us.

And a word of warning for Schwzarzer and Hart; only 1 in the last 16 games between us and them has seen either team keep a clean sheet.

Perhaps it won't be such a snoozefest on the pitch after all....

Probable starting XI: Schwarzer, Salcido, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly, Gera, Murphy, Greening, Davies, Dempsey, A Johnson

[WhiteJC]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8148028/Fulhams-Mark-Hughes-comes-face-to-face-with-disrespectful-Manchester-City.html?

Fulham's Mark Hughes comes face to face with 'disrespectful' Manchester City
Sackings are rarely handled elegantly in the madhouse that is modern football and Mark Hughes's dismissal by Manchester City last year is remembered as one of the most barbaric.


Sky-blue thinking: Mark Hughes would love to lead his Fulham side to victory against his former
club Manchester City Photo: AP

By Henry Winter 11:00PM GMT 19 Nov 2010

As Hughes prepared Manchester City for games in late November and December, Garry Cook's board plotted against their manager, wooing Roberto Mancini over dinner. Hughes was fired with a lack of compassion that would have shocked even Lord Sugar.

A dignified figure, Hughes left Eastlands with his head held high on Dec 19, his players responding with a 4-3 victory over Sunderland, a result cementing sixth place in the Premier League (with a semi-final spot in the Carling Cup already secured).

A popular man in British football, Hughes this weekend encounters Cook, Mancini and City at Craven Cottage. There are points to win - and points to prove.

"It's always nice to go up against former clubs and show there is life after you've left them,'' reflected Hughes.

Fulham's manager is not a character given to self-doubt, having enjoyed such an illustrious playing career, and being well-regarded as a manager for his work with Wales, Blackburn Rovers and City, but he would love to win on Sunday.

Speaking at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground on Friday, he talked of having no grudges, no regrets, but it became abundantly clear that the memory of his "disrespectful'' treatment by Cook and company rubbed painfully away at him like a sharp stone in a tight shoe.

Mancini's observation earlier in the day that City had improved since his exit drew a raised eyebrow from Hughes, not least because the Italian's 22 points from 13 games this season (W6 D4 L3 F 15 A 10) is the same as the Welshman's start last season (W5 D7 L1 F 24 A 17).

"The team hasn't formed as quickly as the people in charge would have liked,'' Hughes remarked wryly.

He could have ducked the City issue, focusing on Fulham's good football under him, but he wanted to be heard and his eloquence spoke of a frustration within.

"I know the group of players I had there was good enough to hit the targets I was given,'' said Hughes.

"Sixth was the target I was given. With the investment in the summer, the next target was Champions League. I left a lot of good people there, good players and staff. They have been in contact and that's nice of them.''

In the days after his departure, Hughes received texts from City players, letters from those whose lives are lit up by a Blue Moon and messages from staff at Eastlands.

"That's great,'' he said. "People understood there were things going on that were disrespectful to me.''

He realised that his position was being undermined, that the driving forces behind City's development, Cook and Brian Marwood, coveted another manager.

"There are good people at City. There are poorer people there as well. It was disrespectful the way I was treated. I had support on occasions when I needed it.

"There were occasions when there was not a lot of support. Towards the end, when I needed support, it was absent.''

No wonder. Cook was too busy working on Mancini, whose observation that the "world was full of unemployed managers'',

implying that the law of the jungle applied, was one that Hughes understood but did not enjoy.

"It is not something that sits comfortably with me or something I've ever done. I have respect for people's position. If clubs come to you and ask 'are you interested?' I'd say 'I wasn't aware there was a vacancy'.

"But when the wheels are set in motion, these things happen. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen.''

Out-of-work managers lobby for jobs through agents or friends in the media. Hughes was particularly vulnerable because he was not the appointment of City's new Abu Dhabi owners and because he had too many draws, seven on the spin in October and November.

"If I'd won every game, I'd still be there. I'm complicit in it as well. We had a run of games that people above me felt were not at an acceptable level.''

People like Cook, the Nike man whose business-school rhetoric sounded weird to Hughes.

"Sometimes when business people come into football there's a lot of strategy and business-speak. They think they can apply those principles to football. Football's a unique business.
"Succession planning is wrong in football because if you plan for what is going to happen at Christmas when a manager is still in place there's no way you can keep that quiet.

"If you do everything correctly in business, have 'all the ducks in a row', then more often than not you will have profits at the end of it. In football you can do everything right and still get beaten.''

For all Hughes's annoyance at the way Cook handed Mancini his job, the Italian has sought to bring some order into City's dressing room, tightening the defence and tackling the lifestyles of individuals such as Adam Johnson.

Marwood, who never got on with Hughes, has attempted to minimise the influence of certain agents, whose clients have a history of boat-rocking.

In trying to build a team, squad and club of substance, City have inevitably been moving quickly, sometimes with too much haste, and mistakes have been made.

"The problem at City is the pace they are trying to do it,'' said Hughes. "It's a great club, great city and great fans who are desperate for success. They want to get there quickly but it has to take time.

"At the moment, a lot of people from the outside don't want them to succeed, which is a shame. I'm sure jealousy comes into it.''

Hughes feels an inevitability of trophies coming to Eastlands. "Everybody who has won things in the Premier League are invariably those who have spent the most money. At some point City will almost certainly win the title.''

Asked whether he had any regrets going to City, Hughes replied: "If somebody came to you and said, 'Do you want to be manager of a club that has stacks of money?' what would you say!''
Mancini also said yes. On Sunday at the Cottage could be lively.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.bluedays.co.uk/2010/11/19/preview-fulham-v-manchester-city-2/?

Preview: Fulham v Manchester City

However much he tries to play it down, there's little doubt Mark Hughes ringed this match when the fixture lists came out. After two scoreless draws, the critics will be poised when Roberto Mancini sends out his team at Craven Cottage on Sunday. The Italian's best answer will be a repeat of the performance at West Brom in our previous away game.

There's a chance it could happen as well, even without Mario Balotelli, our two goal hero that day. Home sides are more likely to come out and attack than Alex McLeish's disciplined defensive unit were last weekend. When they do, we have the players capable of exploiting the gaps.

With three consecutive clean sheets, the defence has rediscovered it's early season form. If Joe Hart is passed fit then the back four in front of him is likely to be the same as last week, with the impressive Kolo and Kompany partnership at it's heart.

With Dembele and Zamora missing, Fulham don't look the most potent. Andy Johnson is still feeling his way back after injury, making Clint Dempsey appear to be the biggest danger.

For City, it's to be hoped Carlos Tevez is fully fit and finds his touch as a result. We simply can't afford him to be off form.

The situation with Adebayor is a bit of a mystery at present. Most news concerning the Togolese striker revolves around him being available to leave in January.

That's as maybe, but with Balotelli suspended, we need him now to take the scoring burden off Tevez. Mind you, there would be some irony if Jo was to come on and score the winner against Mark Hughes' side.

This week saw England fans finally catching up with City supporters in questioning Gareth Barry's ability to keep up with the game. Fortunately Mancini may have hit upon a defensive midfield pairing of de Jong and Yaya that spares us of having Barry central to our plans.

The potential for the de Jong and Yaya pairing is huge and it's to be hoped that Mancini persists with it. The downside last week was the lack of a physical presence closer to the front.

Tevez with Silva behind him simply isn't going to work when the ball is in the air. If Mancini feels able to play Adebayor then the problem could be solved by playing Tevez in a deeper role.

In the wide positions, Adam Johnson and Silva would give the greatest attacking threat. However Mancini may be more inclined to stick with Milner as we're away from home, and to give Kolarov a bit more cover.

Carlos Tevez:

"I feel we are close to finding our form and I believe when we play at our best and find some consistency, we'll win five or six in a row and really challenge the teams above us."

The pressure is back on Mancini after the failure to beat Birmingham and anything other than victory will see it intensify – regardless of Fulham's strength at home. If Hughes' current side show any of the defensive frailty we saw in his City team, then Mancini could mastermind a victory to consolidate our fourth place in the table.

Blue Days line up (4-2-3-1):

Hart
Boateng – K Toure – Kompany – Kolarov
de Jong – Y Toure
A Johnson – Tevez – Silva
Adebayor

Prediction: 3-0 to City.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1331475/Fulham-boss-Mark-Hughes-I-stab-manager-back.html?

Disrespectful! I would not stab another manager in the back, insists Hughes

Roberto Mancini has no regrets about speaking to Manchester City's owners while Mark Hughes was still manager at the club. The Italian said he feels no guilt because, quite simply, 'this is life'.

For Hughes, however, now the boss of Fulham, stabbing a fellow manager in the back is not the done thing. The Welshman said he had never done it, but was not naive enough to think it did not go on.

There was no bitterness in Hughes's words, just an air of determination. However, he did say: 'People understood at the time there were things going wrong that were disrespectful to me, the role and the job I was trying to do. It was disrespectful towards me, the way I was treated in the end.'

It will be fascinating to watch the pair endure that long walk out across the pitch from the dressing room to the dug-out when City travel to Craven Cottage tomorrow.

'It is not something that sits comfortably with me or something I've ever done,' said Hughes, speaking exactly 11 months after he was sacked by City.

'I have respect for people's position. If clubs come to you and ask if you are interested, I would say I wasn't aware there was a vacancy. '[But] I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. With hindsight I was maybe aware of what had gone on. If I had won every game, I would still be there. I understand it wasn't anybody else's fault.'

Mancini has said himself he met City owner Sheik Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in London at the beginning of December.

Hughes was not sacked until December 19, hours after a 4-3 win over Sunderland. But Mancini said he had no regrets about his conduct. Furthermore, he said managers had no obligation to respect their peers - or their peers' positions.

The City boss said: 'This is the manager's life. Today, you can stay here, tomorrow you can be at another club. When one manager doesn't work there is another manager. It's not my problem. If the manager doesn't accept this, he doesn't do this job.'

But Hughes hit out at City's owners,insisting business principles should not be applied to football. He said: 'I would suggest succession planning is wrong in football. If you plan for what is going to happen at Christmas when a manager is still in place there's no way you can keep that quiet.'

City, who will have goalkeeper Joe Hart fit for Sunday's match, travel to west London with the same number of points (22) they had achieved after 13 Barclays Premier League games under the management of Hughes last season.

With Mancini in charge, however, they have conceded and scored fewer goals and lost two more games. But the City boss insisted his side had improved.

Mancini said: 'We have bought fantastic players - and we are fourth. With all the problems we've had with injuries, we are there.'

Hughes, whose Fulham side will be without Moussa Dembele for three weeks after the Belgium forward damaged his left ankle on international duty, said: 'They made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success. That doesn't seem to have happened, in fairness. But you have to say it's only a matter of time.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1331475/Fulham-boss-Mark-Hughes-I-stab-manager-back.html#ixzz15o5gVPQV

[WhiteJC]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/andy-johnson-missing-out-on-fulhams-success-was-the-hardest-thing-of-all-2138945.html?

Andy Johnson: 'Missing out on Fulham's success was the hardest thing of all'
He is back in action after career-saving knee surgery. He tells Sam Wallace he holds no grudges but that reckless tackles must be stamped out

It was not until June in Colorado that Andy Johnson heard the words he had been praying for in the clinic of the acclaimed knee surgeon Richard Steadman. Having studied the scans of Johnson's right knee, Steadman turned to him and said, deadpan, "Andy, I'm afraid you are gonna have to go back to playing soccer."

At Fulham's training ground another five months on, the memory of that conversation still brings a smile to Johnson's face. The knee injury that claimed nine months of his career has healed and the one-time England striker is in the squad tomorrow against Manchester City for what he hopes will be only his second start for Fulham since January.

The attention will be upon Mark Hughes facing the club that sacked him 11 months ago but the significance for Johnson is enormous, too. These were the big games he longed to be part of during his long rehabilitation when he was forced to watch Fulham's monumental run to the Europa League final with his crutches propped up behind his seat at Craven Cottage.

At 29, he is yet another player who owes his career to the pioneering work of the famous Steadman, who developed the surgical process that was used to rebuild Johnson's right knee so badly damaged by a tackle from Blackburn Rovers' Christopher Samba in January.

"Don't get me wrong it has been a horrible time," Johnson says, "but during that time I concentrated on the things that I wasn't able to do in football. I tried to stay as positive as possible because if you get into a negative frame of mind it can only lead you one way to depression, getting sad and you end up behind miserable around the house and that is not what I want to be around my sons. I have tried to be as positive as possible.

"Missing out on Fulham's success was the hardest thing of all. It was not that the team was doing so well, it was not being involved in it. I cannot praise them enough. I was so pleased for Zoltan Gera who got player of the season and it was well deserved. Bobby [Zamora] as well, who I am very close to, had a fantastic season having had a bit of stick the season before. I just hope he can get fit so he can get back in the England squad.

"I went to all the home games [in the Europa League run]. I was nervous. When you can't actually affect the game you get nervous. I don't really get nervous in the games I play in. When I play I get anxious for the game to start. But when I was watching I felt nervous just because they were big games. Juventus at home – and we had to win. The boys were fantastic that night."

His comeback was a substitute's appearance against West Bromwich Albion on 23 October and since then he has come on four more times, finally getting his first start in Saturday's draw against Newcastle United. Naturally he is desperate to start at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

Johnson's injury problems last season did not begin at Ewood Park on 17 January. Even before then he had hurt a collarbone in the early rounds of the Europa League and then damaged his groin against Everton. He now believes he came back from both injuries too early and by the time he was caught by the Samba challenge, his body had become vulnerable.

"I don't think he [Samba] even meant to do it," Johnson says. "I went past him and he went to tackle me and slipped. It was unlucky that my leg was planted and I hyper-extended my knee. I have had loads of battles against Chris Samba and I speak to him after games. He's a top man so, no, I don't hold grudges like that. It's not like it was a malicious challenge or two-footed. He didn't go over the ball, it was an unlucky challenge and my knee got caught in just the wrong situation.

"Funnily enough we lost three of the players in that game. Paul Konchesky did his ankle and was out for seven weeks, Clint Dempsey did his knee as well and was out for two and half months so it was a bad day for the boys. But that's football."

An England striker who won eight caps under Sven Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren – although he has never been selected by Fabio Capello – Johnson has the even-tempered attitude of a man who has done a lot of thinking in his time out. Later on he admits that there are bad tackles that need eradicating but it is the one by Wolves' Karl Henry that ended Zamora's season that he is talking about.

"It was something that Murph [Danny Murphy] touched on. I don't want to go into that but I do think there are some reckless challenges going on now that need to be clamped down on a little bit. It has cost Bobby his England place and half a season when he is in the best form of his career. I'm not saying that was a reckless challenge [from Henry] but it was unneeded and from behind when he was running away from a player."

As for Johnson, he says he is as quick and as hungry for success as ever but admits that it was a close thing at times. His injury was a micro-fracture in his cartilage which he says "is ending a lot of people's careers". The condition occurs when the cartilage wears down to the bone. Johnson had always had problems with that knee in the past but, were it not for the Samba challenge, he would not have required surgery.

In the circumstances, there was only one surgeon to see. "I asked him [Steadman] how many micro-fractures [procedures] he had done," Johnson says. "He told me he had done 3,800. When he said that I was like 'Cool, I'm in the right place.'

"Basically they p**** your bone and it bleeds and regrows as a cartilage. It is a time-consuming thing, a healing process. Cruciates [knee ligaments] these days are pretty straightforward. You snap them or you tear them, and they get fixed. My one was a healing process and there was a chance it might not work. I had that doubt in my mind for a long time but there has been nothing in my rehab, no flare-ups, no swelling, that has made me think that it has not been successful.

"I think there are players who have obviously retired because of it. It is similar to what Ledley King did. I don't know how successful his was but I do know that he struggles to play a lot of games now. I have played all the practice matches and reserve games and not had any problems. I have come on in all the games I have been selected for and I started my first game last week so hopefully I will be fine."

Visiting the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, was a reminder that not every player's career can be saved as easily. Johnson bumped into Owen Hargreaves a few times who continues to fight tendinitis. There were plenty of other famous names from world sport passing through, too. "I think he [Steadman] has just done Kobe Bryant's knee," Johnson says. "If it's all right for Kobe then it's alright for me."

"It is basically a ski resort and the hospital is at the bottom of the resort. So in the worst case you go down the slope straight into hospital and you're out in three days. He [Steadman] is not stupid when it comes to where he has built his hospital. He's definitely a businessman.

"He is big. I think he's a top surgeon worldwide and he has pioneered the micro-fracture [procedure] so there was no doubt in my mind that was who I wanted to see. If it wasn't going to work, or it wasn't going to be successful, I wanted to know that I had failed with the best than have someone else do it over here who is not quite so experienced and me thinking: 'what if?'"

The long days of rehabilitation in the gym were hard so Johnson changed the way he lived his life. A professional footballer from the age of 17, he found himself able, for he first time, to spend weekends with his sons Finley, seven, and Frankie, three.

"Everything changes. You miss the training and the travelling but on the flip-side I spent a lot of time with my family. I got to do things with my two boys that I don't get to do, like watching my eldest play football on a Saturday morning. I had weekends off because I was training so hard over the summer. We would go on hotel breaks just to spend time with them.

"I took them to school, picked them up. I turned a negative into a positive but at the same time I missed football a lot. I think if I had been single and didn't have kids I can see how players do go the other way. But I have great people around me, great wife, great kids, great management staff at Fulham."

Johnson's England caps came between February 2005 and September 2007 when he won the last of them starting for McClaren's England against Israel. For that period he was consistently picked in squads and was one of the five original players on stand-by for the 2006 World Cup finals. But he was left out of Capello's first squad and has never been picked again. The sense of rejection still rankles.

"I have ambitions to play for England especially now it is an open squad," Johnson says. "There are a lot of players getting in there on merit. The manager is not scared of choosing players from the lower division. His way is if you are playing well you get your chance which before three, four, five years ago it was a little bit of a closed shop.

"I did break into it when I was in the Championship but that was the season I scored 32 and I scored 21 in the Premier League the year after. I cemented myself in the squad for three or four years, didn't play that many games but I was always called up. Looking back on it now – I did appreciate it but maybe I didn't grab it with two hands as much as I would now."

His contract is up at the end of next season and he would like another one at Fulham but recognises that he will have to earn it first. After nine months out, he is not thinking past tomorrow and the game against Manchester City. "I have had a year out and it has been frustrating and disappointing but it is a man's game and these things happen to a lot of players. I am not the only person who has told this story. There are probably hundreds more. That's football."

My other life

During the rehab for my knee injury I must have watched every kids' film and read every kids' book in south-east London: Toy Story 1, 2 and 3; Finding Nemo, Lightning McQueen and Where's Wally?. I watched a lot of Entourage when I was house bound. I saw Taken with Liam Neeson, that was a top film. And I am an EastEnders fan.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/19/mark-hughes-manchester-city-fulham?

Mark Hughes: Manchester City would be better off with me in charge
• Former manager says owners 'disrespectful' over his sacking
• Roberto Mancini has no regrets over manner of Hughes's exit

Mark Hughes has dismissed Roberto Mancini's record since the Italian replaced him as Manchester City manager last season, claiming he would have taken the club further by this point than the former Internazionale coach has done.

Despite spending around £135m on players, Mancini's record this season is worse than Hughes' at Eastlands last term, with the same points accrued after 13 games but with an inferior goal difference. Hughes implied that City should not have sacked him as he prepared his Fulham side to face them at Craven Cottage .

"They made the change with the view that they wanted to accelerate the process of getting success," he said. "That doesn't seem to have happened. I know what I left behind, that the club and the group of players I had there was good enough to hit the targets I was given. I knew they had to spend significantly more money [last] summer – that opportunity was going to be given to myself. It wasn't. If I had still been there I would have been there two and a half years so that I think would have helped."

Mancini strongly defended his record, claiming City are far stronger under his management. "We have improved a lot," he said. "We have won a lot of away games. We are in fourth position, two points behind [Manchester] United. We must check again at the end of the season but I think we will get into the Champions League and probably win something."

His problems have increased, though, amid revelations of a row with four players – Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joleon Lescott and Wayne Bridge – over what they perceive as special treatment for Mario Balotelli. They took issue with Mancini after Balotelli left training early the day after the Manchester derby despite not having played in that match.

Mancini admitted after his appointment last December that he had been speaking to City before Hughes's sacking, yet he denied he should have regrets or feel guilt over how the Welshman was dealt with. "No. This is life. This is the manager's life," he said. "Today you can stay here, tomorrow you can be at another club. When one manager doesn't work there is another manager. The world is full of football managers. It's not my problem. If the manager doesn't accept this, he doesn't do this job."

Hughes disagreed. "It is not something that sits comfortably with me or something I've ever done," he said. "I have respect for people's position. If clubs come to you and ask 'are you interested?' I would say I wasn't aware there was a vacancy but, when the wheels are set in motion, these things happen. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. I'm big enough to understand."

Garry Cook, City's chief executive, has admitted he began the search for Hughes' replacement the previous summer, despite publicly stating on various occasions that Hughes had the full backing of the Abu Dhabi owners. "It was disrespectful towards me, the way I was treated in the end," Hughes said. "In fairness I had all the support on occasions when I needed it. There were occasions when there was not a lot of support. Towards the end, when I needed support, it was absent. So read into that what you want."

Hughes further raised the temperature before Sunday's game by accusing the City hierarchy of not understanding the unique nature of football. "You need more time," he said. "Football is different from business. Sometimes when business people come into football then there's a lot of strategy, business-speak, that flies around because that's their world. They think they can apply those business principles to football.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sportingpreview.com/matches/10111042.php?

FULHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
LATEST TEAM NEWS

Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards are doubtful for Manchester City's trip to Fulham on Sunday.

Both players picked up injuries in England's midweek defeat to France, Lescott a foot injury and Richards a rib problem.

Mario Balotelli is still suspended for City's clash against their former manager.

Fulham striker Moussa Dembele will be out of action for three weeks after aggravating an ankle injury in training.

But Mexican defender Carlos Salcido returns ahead of schedule after recovering from ankle ligament damage.

And defender Chris Baird is back in contention after missing two weeks with a thigh tear.

Fulham Squad: Schwarzer, Kelly, Salcido, Hughes, Baird, Hangeland, Duff, Dempsey, Murphy, Davies, Gera, Etuhu, A Johnson, E Johnson, Stockdale, Pantsil, Kamara, Greening, Briggs.

Manchester City Squad: Hart, Richards, Zabaleta, Bridge, Lescott, Boyata, De Jong, Vieira, Barry, A Johnson, K Toure, Y Toure, Tevez, Silva, Adebayor, Kolarov, Given, Milner, Kompany, Boateng.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/52587/fulham-vs-manchester-city/preview

Fulham - Manchester City Preview: Roberto Mancini set to be without England trio as Mark Hughes faces old club

TEAM NEWS

Fulham

Moussa Dembele joins the injury list already populated by Philippe Senderos, Bobby Zamora and Fredrik Stoor. The striker is expected to be out for three weeks having suffered damage to his ankle ligaments.

Full backs Carlos Salcido and Chris Baird are in contention to return though, and Andrew Johnson could be in line to start after returning to first team action in recent weeks.

Possible Starting XI: Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Duff, Greening, Murphy, Davies; Dempsey; Andrew Johnson.

Manchester City

Micah Richards, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott are all doubts following England's friendly defeat by France, but Joe Hart, who picked up a back injury during training for the international friendly, is expected to start.

In attack, Emmanuel Adebayor is doubtful with a heel injury and Mario Balotelli completes his suspension following a red card against West Brom, while Carlos Tevez should be fit to play.

Possible Starting XI: Hart; Boateng, Kompany, Kolo Toure, Kolarov; De Jong, Yaya Toure; Adam Johnson, Milner, Silva; Tevez.

A point to prove

When Fulham line up against Manchester City on Sunday, it will have been slightly less than a year since Mark Hughes was sacked unceremoniously by his former employers from Eastlands following a 4-3 victory over Sunderland.

It was an episode that led Hughes to call his old club 'disrespectful', while others could think of much worse labels to hang on them.

No doubt, as diplomatic as Hughes has been with his choice of words regarding his departure from City, at Craven Cottage on Sunday he will be eager to exact some revenge and fire Fulham up the Premier League. Despite having lost only three games from a possible 13, a preponderance of draws means Hughes's side sit 16th in the table, just one point above the bottom three.

Negative vibes

Hughes's replacement at City and opposite number on Sunday, Roberto Mancini, has come in for criticism of late as his side has struggled to find the net in what some observers have cited as a negative approach.

While the cracks aren't as evident at board level as they were with Hughes, three games without a win - or a goal - would undoubtedly put the Italian on the back foot come Monday morning.

None of that will matter come the end of the season if City manage to secure a top four spot, however. Mancini looks likely to be afforded the time to make that happen too, but a win at Craven Cottage, while apparently not a 'must', is a game the visitors will be expected to win.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/November/DaviesonHughes.aspx?

Instant Respect

Fulham midfielder Simon Davies revealed this week that during his formative years growing up in Wales, there was one name in football that was held in high regard in the Davies household.

In fact, Welsh legend Mark Hughes' goalscoring exploits made him something of a hero to the Davies family, and Simon was clearly delighted to see Hughes arrive at Craven Cottage ahead of the 2010/11 campaign. 

"I come from a big Manchester United family, and being Welsh, he [Hughes] was a hero to all of us," said Davies. "Growing up as a young Welsh boy, Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs were superstars. To play under him at the beginning [with Wales] was amazing and obviously when he joined Fulham it was great for me because I've worked with him before. He gains instant respect for what he has achieved in the game.

"The first [Wales] squad he ever announced he picked me when I'd just moved to Tottenham Hotspur. I'd been in the U21 team when he was at the end of his playing days so he was there during a few training sessions. I really only got to know him when he became the Welsh manager.

"With Wales it was his first job and I told the lads [at Fulham] how it was at the time. Training was always very good with Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki, who were the coaches at the time. Straight away they changed Welsh football which was in a dark place at the time. I was lucky enough to be coming into the squad at the time and it was a great couple of years under Sparky [Mark Hughes].

"He [Hughes] lifted the whole hopes of a nation and it was a great time to play for Wales. I told the lads at Fulham positive things before he arrived. He's got a proven track record and he did great things with Blackburn and they were always tough to play against.

"It's not easy when a new manager comes in with a whole new coaching set up. We're adapting to it and I do feel we are getting better. Under Roy we attacked as a team and stayed very compact and we defended as a team in a very compact way. We weren't really a gung-ho team. We were hard to beat and we would nick games – we were a very solid outfit.

"With the new manager, he really wants us to take the game to other people and he feels we've got the ability to do that. We do believe we have the playing staff and structure to have a good season. We've just got to keep working as hard as we can until Christmas and when you reach that point, you usually know how the season is going to pan out."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/November/DaviesonHughes.aspx?#ixzz15okvdsDU

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/11/20/fulham-v-manchester-city-preview-hughes-ready-to-face-former-em/?

Fulham v Manchester City Preview: Hughes Ready to Face Former Employers

Whatever Mark Hughes says in public, there will be a part of him that would love to absolutely trounce Manchester City if only to say "look what you could have had."

The Fulham manager will take on his former club for the first time since he was unceremoniously deemed not up to the Eastlands job 11 months ago. And he will have noticed as much as anybody, that City's fortunes have not markedly improved since his departure.

In fact City have the same amount of points as they did last season, but they have scored fewer goals than they had under Hughes at the same stage of the campaign last year.

Meanwhile the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker insists he is perfectly happy at Craven Cottage, where he has clear guidelines, a professional back-room staff and a group of players who act like a team rather than the hastily thrown together multi-million pound stars he had at Eastlands.

And he is keen to make clear he feels no bitterness whatsoever. None. He was asked three times at his pre-match press conference and each time he flatly denied any lingering thoughts of bitterness over his treatment.

But surely he will allow himself a wide grin if Fulham come out on top at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Key match-up: Clint Dempsey v Carlos Tevez. Both have an eye for goal, although Dempsey has brought that side of his game to the fore this season out of necessity with the injuries Fulham's attacking players have suffered. But the key to this match-up is the way both players are more than willing to get stuck in in defence and in the middle of the pitch. Neither will want to come off second-best.

Form guide: Both sides head into the fixture having gone two games without a goal. But the record is far more worrying for City - even if they have gained a point in their last two fixtures. Fulham suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Chelsea last week, on the same night Manchester City played out a dour goalless draw against local rivals United. Then Fulham came away from Newcastle with a point from a stalemate, while City hosted Birmingham in a goalless draw.

Odds: Fulham 11-5, Manchester City 7-5, Draw 21-10

[WhiteJC]

http://www.bitterandblue.com/2010/11/20/1822832/a-look-ahead-to-fulham?

A look ahead to Fulham
by Danny Pugsley on Nov 20, 2010 9:00 AM GMT in Manchester City: Match Previews

When Sky selected City's trip to Craven Cottage for live TV coverage they were surely anticipating plenty of sub plots with Roberto Mancini bringing his side to the home of the man he replaced, Mark Hughes. However, they could have only dreamed of Mancini making the trip south under pressure following two successive goalless draws and the fans' boos ringing in his ears.

As we return to league action focus will inevitably switch back to City, and more specifically, Mancini. With his side drawing a blank the past two games (and his admission that only Carlos Tevez currently looks like scoring) it seems that at present he will need to continually pull out results like that achieved at West Brom to keep the knives at bay.



Adam Johnson was recalled to the side for the Birmingham game, and it will be interesting to see if he persists with the more attacking option or reverts to Gareth Barry, with James Milner moving back out wide. Elsewhere, with Mario Balotelli serving the final game of his suspension, there appears little doubt over the team selection and formation, with only Joe Hart's back injury maybe forcing a change.

It is a much changed side that Hughes will face though, with potentially only four players from the side he left behind starting, illustrating the sweeping changes Mancini has made to the side since taking over following Hughes's sacking with several of Hughes's signings and favourites on the outside looking in as Mancini's stamp has very much been put on the side.

Under Hughes, Fulham have had a mixed start. Unbeaten early on, they have still been defeated only three times in eleven games yet have won just two. Eight draws from eleven games tells its own story and clearly this is an area Hughes needs to improve upon as Fulham hover just above the drop zone.

Craven Cottage, whilst always a nice ground to visit, is one that is not an easy place to get a result from and Fulham have suffered just one defeat at home. I posted a couple of days ago about the importance of the partnership between Kolo Toure and Vincent Kompany and they will be the platform for victory, although the likelihood is that Fulham's record of draws sees both sides sharing the spoils.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6516774,00.html?

Hughes - I wouldn't steal job
Fulham boss feels it is disrespectful to discuss replacing a manager

Mark Hughes insists he would not discuss the chance to replace an incumbent manager after criticising the way he was replaced at Manchester City.

City dispensed with Hughes in December last year and the Welshman was swiftly succeeded by former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini.
The City manager's position was reportedly discussed with Mancini prior to Hughes' dismissal, but it is a tactic that does not sit comfortably with the now Fulham boss.

Hughes faces his former club at Craven Cottage on Sunday and he is adamant he would never try to steal another manager's job.

Should be respect

"It's not something that sits comfortably with me," said Hughes. "I don't think I've ever done it. There should be respect for people's positions.

"If clubs come and ask if you're interested in the job, I'd always say I wasn't aware there was a vacancy.

"I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. Maybe I understood what went on after the event.

"People understood there were things going on that were a little bit disrespectful to me.

"Towards the end when I needed support it was not there. I could have come straight out and criticised everyone, but that's not the way I do things."

Hughes also believes that City's Arab owners and chief executive Garry Cook will have to adapt their approach in order to fulfil their footballing ambitions for the club.

He added: "Sometimes when business people come into football then strategies and business speak flies about because that's their world. They think they can apply those principles to football.

"You can do everything right, make a profit, but get beat on Saturday."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=222048

Fulham - Murphy Susses City Out!
Danny Murphy seems to have a lot to say for himself these days!

Hot on the heels of his outburst relating to managers firing their players up and the subsequent carnage being caused on the pitch, and outburst we whole-heartedly agreed with, Danny has cast his eye over our opponents tomorrow, Manchester City.

In doing so, Danny has, he believed, uncovered the reason why City, despite spending millions, have not set the Premier League alight yet, remarking to the media,

"We`re on a new adventure under Mark Hughes, and he`s got a good track record."

"The big problem for Mancini is keeping all those players happy. No matter how much money is put in, those players are going to want to be playing."

"You can`t keep that many egos happy - I`ve seen it happen before at other clubs. You need a spine, and City have changed their players so much I don`t think they have that."

A fair point we`d argue, wouldn`t you?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=222048#ixzz15q3Z39PP

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=222047

Fulham - Experience Is The Key!
Having notched up so many draws and having not registered that many victories, our current league position isn`t all that we`d hoped for.

In fact if we don`t get anything out of the game against Manchester City, on Sunday, I`ll be nervously looking over my shoulder.

But those who have been around the game for years, including Danny Murphy, know what`s needed to drag u sout of this situation and ahead of the clash with money-bags City, Danny has suggested that it`ll be the old-boys who`ll see us come good, remarking,

"We`ve got people like Mark Schwarzer, Andy Johnson, Simon Davies - they have been around a long time and it makes a difference."

Is Danny right?

Os experience the key or should we be worried?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=222047#ixzz15q3pL1f9

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6516938,00.html?

Murphy issues Mancini warning
Midfielder doubts City's title credentials

Fulham captain Danny Murphy reckons Roberto Mancini could be mercilessly booted out of Manchester City - just like former boss Mark Hughes was.

Murphy, 33, has issued the stark warning to the Italian ahead of the Premier League clash between Fulham and mega-rich City at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Cottagers manager Hughes will come up against his old club for the first time since being shown the door 11 months ago and was replaced by former Inter Milan boss Mancini.
Despite bringing over £100million worth of talent to Eastlands since then Mancini has seen his City side, who have won just once in their last six games, struggle for consistency.

And Murphy thinks City's treatment of his current boss Hughes is worth thinking about for Mancini.

Inevitable

He said: "I don't think Mark Hughes was given a fair crack but I think it was inevitable. He wasn't their man.

"He was already in charge when the new owners came in with all that money.

"As soon as there was a downturn there was talk about a change of manager.

"Well, who's to say that won't happen with Mancini now that he's spent a lot of money?"

Experienced Murphy, who spent seven seasons trying to help Liverpool beat Manchester United and Arsenal to the title, also believes City's huge influx of new players will pose problems.

Egos
He said: "The big problem for Mancini is keeping all those players happy.

"No matter how much money you put in, those players are going to want to be playing. You can't keep that many egos happy.

"I've seen it all before. I don't think City will be title contenders because it's too many new players at once.

"They've got quality but it does take time.

"The transformation of that squad has been immense and I feel it's going to be years before they are challenging."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6516954,00.html?

AJ targets England return
Striker would grab opportunity of England call-up with both hands

Andrew Johnson has high hopes of breaking back into the England squad after recovering from his knee problems.

The Fulham striker damaged his knee under a challenge from Blackburn defender Christopher Samba back in January.

The 29-year-old had his right knee rebuilt by acclaimed knee surgeon Richard Steadmanand, following a slow recuperation, Johnson played 89 minutes in the goalless draw at Newcastle last weekend.

Johnson, who won eight caps under Sven Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren, is hopeful he can impress Fabio Capello enough to earn a call-up for the Three Lions' next friendly international, which is scheduled for early February.

"I have ambitions to play for England especially now it is an open squad," Johnson told The Independent.

"There are a lot of players getting in there on merit. The manager is not scared of choosing players from the lower division.

"His way is if you are playing well you get your chance which before three, four, five years ago it was a little bit of a closed shop.

"I did break into it when I was in the Championship but that was the season I scored 32 and I scored 21 in the Premier League the year after.

"I cemented myself in the squad for three or four years, didn't play that many games but I was always called up.

"Looking back on it now - I did appreciate it but maybe I didn't grab it with two hands as much as I would now."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/previews/fulham-v-man-city-85722/?

Fulham v Man City


Hughes ready for City reunion Mark Hughes admits he is relishing the prospect of making life difficult for his old club Manchester City this weekend.

It is 11 months since Fulham boss Hughes was sacked as manager of City when he did not deliver the points quota demanded by the current owners.

City were in sixth place in the Premier League then.

Now, under Roberto Mancini, they are fourth but still struggling to make a consistent impact.

And while Hughes insists he has moved on since leaving Eastlands, he said: "Whenever a player goes up against a team he was employed by, or a manager in my circumstances, there is always an extra incentive to try to win the game.

I'm no different from any individual in similar circumstances.

"My aim first and foremost is to win for Fulham.

It is always nice to go up against former clubs and show that there is life after you have left them.

" Striker Moussa Dembele will be out of action for three weeks after aggravating an ankle injury in training.

Mexican defender Carlos Salcido returns ahead of schedule after recovering from ankle ligament damage.

Defender Chris Baird is back in contention after missing two weeks with a thigh tear.

England duo Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards are Mancini's main doubts.

Lescott is struggling with a foot injury, while Richards has a rib problem following the midweek encounter with France.

Mario Balotelli is still suspended.

Mancini is convinced he will have a Champions League place and a trophy at the end of the season to prove he has changed City's fortunes for the better.

"We are in fourth position, three points behind United but we must check at the end of the season," said Mancini.

"At the end of the season I think we will get into the Champions League and probably we will win something.

This is my opinion because I believe we have improved a lot.